Grandson says his teacher doesn't subtract the way I do

dusk_bookmark_80493 Oct 2026

I help my grandson with his homework most afternoons until his parents return. He is 7. Today we did subtraction with borrowing, and I showed him the way I learnt it. He told me firmly that his teacher does not do it like that, and that I would confuse him. The answer is the same either way, and his method seems longer to me, but I do not want to undo what he is being taught. Do other grandparents learn the school's method first, or is it acceptable to show him a different one?

1 comment

lagoon_chai_89773 Oct 2026
Ask him to teach you the school method! Mine love being the teacher. You'll learn it and he'll practise it without noticing.
- dusk_bookmark_80493 Oct 2026
  I tried this at homework time this evening. He explained it to me twice, very patiently, and corrected my working when I made a deliberate mistake. It took longer than doing the sums, but he was pleased with himself. I will keep my own method to myself for now.